(Virginia Commonwealth University) Cancer researchers are a step closer to finding a cure for advanced prostate cancer after effectively combining an anti-cancer drug with a viral gene therapy in vivo using novel ultrasound-targeted microbubble-destruction (UTMD) technology.

"UTMD uses microscopic, gas-filled bubbles that provide great contrast against soft tissue when viewed using ultrasound equipment. The microbubbles can also be paired with complexes made to bind to specific areas of the body, allowing them to be targeted. In this study, a weakened adenovirus (a virus that is typically associated with respiratory infections) engineered to deliver the tumor-suppressing gene mda-7/IL-24 was joined to the microbubbles and delivered through the blood stream directly into the prostate. UTMD's ability to systematically target a disease site could revolutionize gene therapy."

"Although our studies focused on prostate cancer, in principle, they could be applied to many other cancers," says Fisher. "Additionally, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction could deliver directly to cancers other viruses, therapeutic genes not contained in a virus and potentially other therapeutic proteins."